


Never Again

by pizarra



Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: Established Relationship, M/M, Secret Intelligence Service | MI6
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-29
Updated: 2014-11-29
Packaged: 2018-02-27 10:56:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,097
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2690252
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pizarra/pseuds/pizarra
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Mycroft wants to recruit Sherlock to MI6 full time.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Never Again

“No.”

His brother is sitting in John’s chair, looking for all the world as if he doesn’t have important business elsewhere.

Sherlock is wiping down his bow with rosin, keeping his eyes on the strings instead of his brother.

“Really, Sherlock.” Mycroft admonishes, as if Sherlock is being a petulant child.

Normally, that assessment would sit well with him. Dealing with Mycroft always makes him regress back to their childhood ways. Not this time, though. This time, Sherlock is serious.

“Your actions on the Magnussen case have been forgiven and forgotten by my superiors,” Mycroft continues as if Sherlock hasn’t already given him an answer. “However, they were impressed with the way you handled the Moriarty business—again—that they would like for you to work on something new. Not to mention all that you’ve accomplished during the two years you were...away.”

Sherlock shakes his head.

“You’re in a beneficial position, Sherlock. Right now, they are willing to give in to any and all demands as long as you accept their offer. You won’t even have to ask twice. Surely, that’s better than your...petty crimes.”

“No, Mycroft.”

“Sherlock…”

“And how long am I to be expected to live this time? Another six months? A year?” Sherlock asks, keeping his tone level and his eyes on his bow.

Mycroft shakes his head. “No, Sherlock, this is different. You’ll have your own team at your command, to do your bidding and all the legwork for you. This isn’t like the Serbia assignment. They want you to lead a reconnaissance team to Mexico to find out how the Molina Cartel has been smuggling their merchandise to the UK, that’s all. It’s just gathering information.”

Sherlock glances at his brother. Mycroft is smiling at him, but there’s a glint in his eyes that Sherlock can’t quite place. Sherlock narrows his eyes at his brother. “And?”

Mycroft frowns. “What do you mean, and?”

“Oh, come now, Mycroft. That can’t be all. We both know that your _superiors_ don’t work that way. They’ve been trying to recruit me for over a decade! Sending you here time and time again to give me one tedious assignment after another. If it’s information they want, surely your _agents_ are better trained than I am. And not only that, the Molina Cartel is a small fish compared to Moriarty’s web, and they want _me_ to take a look at it? If they were really impressed with me, they would send me to Romania where rumors say that a new terrorist cell is forming. Or even Russia. God knows how your superiors can’t leave Russia alone.”

Even Mycroft smirks at that.

“Now that we know your excuses are _rubbish_ , are you more amenable to tell me what really is happening here?”

Mycroft looks away, sighs, then looks back at him. “They...want to prepare you for a higher position in MI6. The Molina case will be your first training into leadership. If you do well with the assignment, they’ll give you a bigger team and a different task in a different country. The divisions and assignments get higher in degree and complexity until they deem you ready for the...position.”

“You mean your position.”

Mycroft frowns at him. “Well, not _my position_ , as I’m still in it. But close enough. The position under mine.”

“No.”

This time, Mycroft glares at him. “No? Surely, you’re tired of the various petty crimes that come to your doorstep? My dear brother, your talents and skill set are wasted in helping Scotland Yard.”

The door downstairs opens and shuts, and footsteps can be heard going up the stairs. It’s John. He throws a look at Mycroft, warning him to shut up and not say a word about the real reason why he’s here.

John enters the sitting room with grocery bags in both hands  to find Sherlock and Mycroft glaring at each other.

“Mycroft,” John greets his brother, because his upbringing will not let him do otherwise.

“John,” Mycroft replies.

For a couple of seconds nobody says or does anything. It is John again who breaks the silence.

“Always a pleasure to have you here, Mycroft. What case is it this time?” John asks, putting the bags on the kitchen table next to Sherlock’s toe experiment.

“The answer is still no,” Sherlock says, not bothering to answer John’s question.

“And why not?”

Sherlock keeps his mouth shut. Mycroft will not understand, will never understand his unwillingness to leave London—or the UK—again. His eyes fly to where John is setting aside space in the refrigerator for the groceries. He can’t, and absolutely will not, leave Baker Street ever again. He’s selfish, always has been, but the one time he decided to be unselfish, it cost him two years of his life. He’s tried leaving Baker Street, and it almost destroyed him. Coming back to find John in love with another person cleaved his heart open. It took everything he had to help Mary plan the wedding and smile through everything.

No. Never again. This time, he’s staying selfish. Mycroft’s bosses will just have to find another fool to work for them.

Sherlock looks at Mycroft again to find him smiling. Unlike his earlier smiles, this one is genuine—it’s the smile Mycroft gave him when he was accelerated two years in school, the smile Mycroft gave him when he was finally, _finally_ , done with the drugs. It’s his proud smile, as if Sherlock made the right decision.

The smile confuses Sherlock.

“Very well, then,” Mycroft says, getting up from John’s chair. Sherlock gets up as well. “I shall see you this weekend. Mummy is looking forward to having dinner with all of us present. Sherlock, John.” Mycroft reminds them not to be late as he goes down the stairs.

John comes out of the kitchen and stands next to Sherlock. “What was that all about?”

Instead of answering, Sherlock leans down to press his lips to John’s. The kiss is sweet, almost reverent, and it reaches to the far corners of Sherlock’s brain.

“Hmm,” John hums. “I missed you, too. So, have we got any case in?” His doctor asks as he turns back to the kitchen to continue whatever it was he was doing.

Sherlock releases a breath. Yes. He wouldn’t give this up. He would gladly solve all the petty crimes that Lestrade will give him just to keep John’s heart with him.

And looking back at his conversation with his brother, Sherlock realises that Mycroft has known all along. His brother really is the smart one.


End file.
